Downfall of Us All
by ReignsSupreme
Summary: (AU) After the events of 'If It Means A Lot To You' former Detective Seth Rollins and his two long time friends Dean and Roman are hired to rescue a kidnapped daughter of a United States General from a corrupt businessman involved in human trafficking. What happens when one woman captures all three of their attentions while they're trying to keep their covers? (Contains Smut)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **This story is a sequel to my previous story, _If It Means A Lot To You._ For reference, there is a recurring original character from that story that appears in this one and will also appear in the third installment of the series. That being said, a couple of years have gone by since the events of that story and now the boys - Seth, Dean, and Roman are working together as independent contractors of sorts - getting jobs done that law enforcement can't quite reach. I hope you enjoy.

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><p>Roman sat in a dark corner of the nightclub, peeling at the label of his beer bottle. The music was pounding, but he knew it provided good sound cover for the conversation he was having. The creep next to him made his skin crawl, and if he weren't there for the purpose of a job, he would have found a way out of there fast.<p>

But someone's daughter was missing. A General he'd encountered during his time enlisted. And since the channels that would have to be taken to recover her were less than legal, Shield Securities, Inc. had been called.

"Am I boring you, Mr. Leakee?" Antonio Cesaro questioned. For all intents and purposes, Cesaro was a smooth talking, well kept Swiss businessman. But he pushed product along the East Coast that included everything from weapons, drugs, and girls. Roman Reigns wanted nothing more than to grab him by the throat and put him through the table they were sitting at, but tonight that wasn't who he was. He was Joseph Leakee, a businessman interested in joining forces with Cesaro. It was their in.

"Force of habit," Roman remarked smoothly, setting his bottle and the now discarded label down on the table. "I'd like to take a look at the product you have available."

"Eager, are we? Well, I suppose that could be arranged. Just not tonight. Until then, enjoy yourself. It is what I plan to do as well, I will call you tomorrow with a time and place for you to get a better look at our operation," he remarked before sliding out of the booth and bidding Roman a good night.

A moment later, Roman was sending a text message to Seth before a woman cleared her throat, standing at the table. There was no doubt that she was stunning and briefly he let his gaze roam over her body, up her toned muscular legs and the black form-fitting dress that hugged all of her curves. He knew within a moment that she was most likely dangerous in more ways than one. She offered Roman a radiant smile. "Mr. Cesaro has asked me to ensure that you enjoy the rest of your night, on his tab. May I join you?"

He hesitated for a moment before nodding and gesturing for her to sit as she beckoned one of the cocktail waitresses over, who placed two drinks in front of them. Roman looked at his for a moment but made no move to drink it.

"You don't trust Cesaro," she observed. "You'll do good business with him then as long as you keep it that way." She reached across the table for his glass, taking a sip and smiling before placing it down on the table. "But perhaps you will trust me."

Roman chuckled before taking a sip. "You're different than the rest of his associates that I've encountered."

"How so?"

"Well, you're certainly not like the muscle I've seen him walk around with. And the other women he seems to surround himself with are…"

"Starving for attention and lacking in intelligence?" she suggested with a laugh. "How do you know that I'm not exactly like them."

"The look in your eyes," he said with a shrug. "So tell me, how does a girl like you end up with someone like Antonio Cesaro?"

Tilting her head back, the young woman laughed before her green eyes locked with his. "Not by mistake."

It was clear that she wasn't saying anymore, so Roman chose to relax slightly and enjoy her company. She didn't say much, commenting instead on their surroundings and a bit of harmless flirting. Roman was filled with the distinct impression that she did not belong with Cesaro. He tried to ignore the instincts he had to protect her that he couldn't explain, as well as his attraction to her.

As the night wore on, he stated that he'd had more than enough to drink and should get going. He thought about asking her to leave with him. She surprised him by offering to walk him out.

As they waited for his town car to arrive, she stood with him near the valet.

"You know, you shouldn't be hanging around with a man like Cesaro," he said, unsure why he was voicing his honest opinion with this stranger.

She peered up at him with bright green eyes, and smiled. "Are you going to rescue me from this dangerous lifestyle, Mr. Leakee?"

"I don't know if you need that, but can I at least offer you a ride?"

She eyed him for a moment as the black Lincoln pulled up and bobbed her head, sliding into the backseat with him and giving the driver her address. It was a short drive to her apartment building and Roman noted, from his previous time in Washington D.C., that it was a fairly nice area.

As the car slowed down in front of her building, she looked at him. "Would you like to come upstairs?" When he hesitated, she slid a bit closer and smirked up at him, "I thought I told you that you could trust me."

Roman gave a slight nod and a moment later the car was pulling away and the two of them were stepping into the elevator and her body was pressed against his.

"Do you know what you're asking for, little girl?" he asked, voice rough. He didn't miss the way she shivered.

"I was tasked to make sure that you enjoy your night, Mr. Leakee."

"You can call me Joe if you tell me your name."

She giggled as the doors slid open, not even waiting to see if he was going to follow.

_Fuck it,_ he thought before stepping out of the lift and following after her.

He was behind her as she turned the key in the lock and he pressed himself against her, arm going around her waist to guide her inside and kick the door closed behind her.

Throwing caution out the window for the moment, Roman's hands roamed her body over her tight black dress. He cupped her breasts and dropped his head down to kiss her neck, growling as she let out a moan that had his cock stirring in his pants.

"Is this what Cesaro keeps you around for?" he asked her, threading fingers into his hair and tugging her hair back.

"No. But you're different than the rest."

He chuckled, moving her to walk further into the apartment. As she took a few steps in front of him, she unzipped her dress, pushing it off of her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. She stepped out of it, smiling at him over her shoulder as she walked in her stiletto heels and matching black lace bra and panties. Roman palmed his cock through his pants before quickly moving to loop his arm back around her waist, pushing her towards her living room couch. His hands tugged down the cups of her bra before he tugged on her nipples, causing her body to jerk as she cried out.

"Are you already wet?" He grinned when she bobbed her head with a whimper and he grinned before pushing her to bend over the back of the couch. He ran one hand along the smooth skin of her back while the other undid his belt. A moment later, he stroked his erection a few times before dragging the crotch of her panties aside and dragging the head along her folds. "Yeah, you're fucking soaked." He pulled back for a moment to retrieve a condom from his pocket and rolling it onto his length. Roman smirked when she stayed right where he'd left her, her gorgeous round ass in front of him.

He stepped up behind her again, lining up his cock with her entrance before slowly pushing inside.

She keened in a mix of pain and pleasure as her body stretched to accommodate him. She was squeezing him like a vice. She turned over her shoulder and her eyes widened when she noted he wasn't even all the way inside of her yet. Biting her lip, she nodded and he thrust forward causing her to scream out as he bottomed out inside of her.

Her breathing was shallow but after a moment she shifted her hips slightly and he took that as the only invitation he needed before pulling back and slamming back in. He set a punishing pace and her back arched to meet every thrust.

When moved his hand from her hip to between her legs to rub her clit, she screamed for him, begging him to go harder and not to stop, which he happily obliged. Her body began to tremble and he knew that she was close, his own restraint snapping as she began to tighten around him and he grunted loudly as he came, spilling into the condom.

They caught their breath for a moment and he smirked at her whimper when he pulled away from her.

He offered her his hand as she stood up, her knees slightly weak. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and she tugged on his hand to lead him to the bedroom with her. When he tried to bend down to kiss her on the mouth, she turned her head and smiled slyly at him.

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><p>A few hours later, Roman extracted himself from her bed to place a call to Seth, stepping into the hallway of her apartment building to do so. A few moments later, when he returned to her bedroom he found himself on the wrong end of a gun.<p>

"Woah," he said, lifting his hands defensively.

"I thought you'd left."

"I was making a call," he said as she lowered the gun and put it back into the drawer of her bedside table. "But I should get going. Though I wish you'd tell me your name before I go." When she just smiled at him, he resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn't be getting her name and stepped closer, kissing her forehead and showing himself out.

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><p>The next morning in the villa they'd rented in the names of their aliases, Seth and Dean had spoken with Roman to go over the information that he'd obtained the night before from his meeting with Cesaro. Of course, Dean had more questions about the woman that Roman had gone home with. Seth rolled his eyes and excused himself to grab the rest of the information General Stanton's informant had given them.<p>

When someone knocked at the door, Dean scrambled to put away the plans they were going over and Roman went to answer. He was surprised to see the woman from the night before standing on the other side.

He grinned at her, tilting his head. "Well, isn't this a nice surprise?"

"You're a surprisingly difficult man to find, Mr. Leakee," she said smoothly before stepping inside. Her eyes were immediately drawn to Dean. "Am I interrupting?"

"No, not at all. This is my associate."

"Jon Moxley," Dean said quickly, offering his hand to her.

"A pleasure, of course. Well, I wish this was social call, but I was sent with a message from Antonio. He would like to extend an invitation to you and your associates to stay at his estate where he hopes you will be able to further discuss your business arrangement."

"And he sent you?" Roman asked with a smirk.

"I may have volunteered."

Despite the fact that Dean was in the room, Roman brushed some of her hair away from her face, his other hand finding her hip. "And will you be staying at Cesaro's estate, too?"

Her lips quirked into a smile and she was about to respond when Seth came walking down the stairs again. Roman glanced at him and for a moment was confused why his friend was staring at him so intently before he realized that _he_ wasn't the one Seth was staring at.

"Amber?"

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><p><strong>Note: <strong>This story will be five chapters and will be updated roughly once a day going forward. Thanks a bunch, feedback is love.


	2. Chapter 2

_Amber._ As in the girl Seth had been moping over ever since their break up two years ago. Roman frowned, it couldn't be the same woman. Though, the more he thought about it the more he thought it was strange that he'd never been told her name. He didn't have time to think about it too much because when he turned back to her, she'd unholstered a gun from behind her back and was pointing it right at him, her eyes on Seth.

"Everyone should sit down," she said slowly.

All three of the men carefully made their way to the breakfast bar and took a seat.

"What are you doing here, Seth?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Yes, but you're not the one holding a gun, are you?"

"I'm here for work," Seth offered.

"This is a bit out of NYPD jurisdiction, don't you think?"

"I'm private sector now."

Amber's expression softened briefly, "You never did tell me why you quit."

Rather than addressing her concern, Seth scowled. "I thought you were doing analyst work with the FBI." He looked at Roman for a moment, "Is this the chick that brought you home last night?"

Dean chuckled softly and muttered something under his breath; all Roman made out was the word 'ironic.'

"I'm on assignment for the Bureau," Amber explained, ignoring Seth's last question and Dean's comment. "When I went to Quanitco, I underwent more than just the required training. I wanted to have my bases covered. My first real case was about Cesaro's organization, and after a while it was obvious that having an agent filter information to me to go over was wasting time. I've been undercover as Lara Preston for the past year."

"Well, based on what I've heard, I can see why Cesaro kept you around for so long."

Amber leveled her gun at Seth and glowered at him.

"Real names, you two, go."

"Roman Reigns."

"Dean."

"As in your old roommate, Dean." Amber said before tilting her head at their blond counterpart. "So what are the three of you doing here?"

"We're looking for a girl. Katie Stanton, nineteen years old, daughter of an old friend of mine," Roman replied.

Amber frowned for a moment, "I don't know that much about that side of Antonio's operation. But I might be able to help."

"You mean he hasn't brought up his human trafficking side project during your pillow talk."

Roman let out an exasperated sigh as Amber looked like she was about to pistol-whip him.

"It couldn't hurt to have someone on the inside, Seth," Dean offered, while it was surprising that he was being rational, Dean also seemed fascinated by the way Amber was handling her firearm.

"What I've done over the past year is none of your business, Rollins."

"More like 'who' you've done."

And just as quickly as Roman blinked, Amber put her gun down to smack Seth across the face.

"Okay, if we're done with our personal episode of Jerry Springer, can we focus on the job?"

Seth rubbed his cheek with a scowl as the four of them discussed their game plan going forward. The three men would join Cesaro at his estate and Amber would do what she could to help them find Katie as long as it didn't put her cover in jeopardy. She gave them names and pulled up photos on her phone of associates of Cesaro's that had a hand in his trafficking ring.

"This girl might be a special case though, from what I understand normally these girls are transient adolescents, runaways, girls who were already out on the streets turning tricks. Upping his game to a General's daughter is risky, even for a bastard like Antonio."

Roman gestured to her phone. "Mind if I pull some of these files onto my computer?"

Amber shook her head and Roman quickly took her phone and started up the stairs to transfer the images over. Seth grumbled something about needing air and stepped out onto the balcony.

"So," Dean started once the door had closed behind Seth. "You've been with Cesaro for a year?"

Amber nodded silently before taking a seat on a stool beside him. "Feels like longer, but yes."

He observed her for a few minutes before she started to fidget under his gaze. "You know, I don't like guns. I've gone my entire life without ever using one," he said slowly. "Rome, Seth, they're used to it. But I've seen the way using one of 'em can change a person."

Amber looked up at Dean and frowned. "I don't know what Seth has ever said about me, or what Roman told you about last night, but…"

"But one knows who you used to be, and the other one knows who you were pretending to be," Dean interjected. "Yeah, I know how living like that goes."

"Your friend was the first man I…since Seth. He seemed different than the others and for just a minute, I wanted to forget about the job and my cover and Cesaro and the horrible things I've seen and done just to make that man trust me." She looked up at Dean sadly, unsure of why she was opening up to him at all. "The truth is, I don't even know who I am anymore."

Nodding, Dean stood up and walked around the kitchen to get her a bottle of water, twisting off the cap before handing it to her.

"How often have you used that gun?"

"More than I would have preferred to," she admitted taking a long sip from the water bottle and looking down, not wanting to meet the look in Dean's eyes as he continued to observe her.

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><p>"I didn't know who she was," Roman stated suddenly as they drove up the winding road that led to Cesaro's estate.<p>

"I know, man," Seth replied calmly.

"Well, you know, she didn't know who Rome was either," Dean added, he was gazing out the window and had his headphones in. Neither of the others had even realized he was listening.

Seth just grunted in irritation.

"And, you're the one that broke things off with her. And you don't know what she's been dealing with for the past year, working with this dude. I'm just saying, maybe you should cut her some slack."

Seth stayed quiet, and Roman didn't dare to chime in, so Dean just grumbled something under his breath and the rest of the ride was taken in silence.

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><p>"Mr. Leakee," Cesaro spoke as he walked down the grand staircase in the foyer of his palatial home. "I am so glad that your associates could join us."<p>

"Of course, this is Tyler Black, my right hand, and Jon Moxley, my securities specialist," Roman replied, gesturing to Seth and Dean respectively.

"Excellent. Well, please, make yourselves comfortable. Lara will show you to your rooms," the Swiss businessman replied as the sound of heels clicking against the marble floors approached. Amber flashed a smile at Cesaro before nodding and gesturing for the men to follow her up the staircase and down a long hallway.

"Antonio hopes that you'll find the accommodations to your liking," she said, gesturing to three rooms at the end of the hall. "I'll be staying in the room for the weekend, should you require anything." Her demeanor was cool and as she made eye contact with the men she made a subtle gesture to indicate the hallway was not a place for them to talk. "However, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to with Mr. Cesaro."

"Hopefully, nothing too grueling," Roman replied with a grin as he pushed the door to his room open and dropped his bags inside.

She smiled at them, but said nothing. All together, it left Dean with an uneasy feeling as she turned around and left them to situate themselves.

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><p>An hour or so later, Dean heard a knock on his door and assumed it must be Seth or Roman. He should have been more surprised to see Amber, but he found that he wasn't. Ushering her quietly inside and shutting the door behind her, by the time he turned to her, she was sitting on the edge of his bed. Her hands were shaking.<p>

He knelt down in front of her. He didn't touch her and didn't say a word, but he waited until she met his gaze.

"Someone's been skimming money from Cesaro's arms deals," she said grimly. "I knew the guy. I know the guy's wife."

Dean nodded. She didn't have to say much more. He could imagine how a man like Antonio Cesaro dealt with a traitor, and he could only imagine how that could make an undercover agent like Amber feel.

She was the one who reached out and took his hand. "I didn't even flinch this time," she whispered. "I didn't even blink when he begged."

"You did what you had to do to keep your cover and stay alive, Amber."

She nodded and looked away. "I'm sorry for bothering you with this."

Dean shook his head and moved to sit beside her, putting an arm around her shoulder awkwardly. She laughed, sensing his discomfort. "You don't do the comforting thing often, do you?"

"Nope," he replied, though he was relieved to hear her laugh.

"Well, you're not awful at it, Ambrose," she nodded, turning to offer him a small smile. "Thank you."

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><p>Not long after leaving Dean's room, Amber was padding down the corridor barefoot in a towel. Her hair was still wet from her shower. She was concentrating on not slipping on the hardwood floor when she looked up and saw Roman walking across the hall from Seth's room back to his own. She looked up at him sheepishly and then glanced away.<p>

"Playing shy, baby girl? You know I've seen you in a hell of a lot less," he teased.

Amber smirked despite herself, pushing open her bedroom door and stepping inside the doorway, she dropped her towel to the floor once she was inside and cast a glance at him over her shoulder.

"Are you coming in, _Mr. Leakee_?"

Roman chuckled and walked in, shutting the door behind him as she rummaged through her closet and dresser for clothes to wear. "Getting dressed seems counter-productive," he chuckled.

"Drop the act, Reigns. If you were really willing to do that behind Seth's back, you probably wouldn't have owned it when you found out who I was. But you're not that kind of guy, because Seth wouldn't have that kind of friend."

Roman sighed, sitting on the foot of her bed as she settled on an emerald dress that he imagined made her eyes stand out. "You're right, Seth's a brother to me and I would never set out to hurt him," he admitted. "But it doesn't mean I've stopped thinking about you since the other night."

Amber ticked an eyebrow up at him as she started to get dressed. "You know, I knew you were different than the other men Antonio does business with. I thought perhaps you were too kind, he would refuse the deal or kill you and I would never see you again."

"That's cold," he stated, staring at her incredulously.

"That's the reality I've lived in for the past year, Roman. It was nothing against you. You were…exactly what I needed the other night. Zip me?" she asked, turning her back to him.

Roman dragged his fingers gently along her spine before slowly dragging the zipper up. "I get it, I do. And I know for the sake of my boy Seth, I shouldn't want you again as much as I do," he muttered even as he buried his face against her neck, fighting off a smirk when she shivered.

"Roman." His name turned into a slight moan on her lips when his breath ghosted over her ear.

"You wouldn't even let me kiss you. It was very _Pretty Woman_ of you."

"Big Julia Roberts fan, are you Reigns?" Amber teased even as she turned around to face him. "One kiss," she whispered.

"That's all I'm saying."

"No funny business."

"Don't you trust me?"

"Our entire first meeting was based on lies."

"That's true. But I like you a hell of a lot more than I should, you can believe that."

Amber giggled softly but the sound was swallowed by Roman's mouth fusing to hers.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thanks for reading guys, I really appreciate it. A new update should be posted at some point tomorrow. Their ride only gets a bit more complicated and dangerous. I'm already in the process of developing the sequel so I thank you for sticking with me in this series, I truly enjoy writing it. As always, feedback and follows are love.


	3. Chapter 3

Later that night, at dinner, Cesaro discussed business with the three men. Amber was next to Roman and occasionally during their meal; one would whisper something to the other that made them laugh quietly.

Seth eyed them warily until Dean nudged him. Apparently Cesaro had asked him a question. He apologized to their host.

"It's quite all right. I must say, I'm rather surprised with the liking Lara has taken to your associate. In all of her time with me, she has never show interest in anyone – despite my attempts. Your friend is very fortunate that I am not a jealous man."

Seth nodded and resumed his conversation regarding their plans to expand Cesaro's business. On cue, Dean made a comment about their interest in other areas of his business, in hopes of creating an opportunity for them to see and extract Katie Stanton.

Cesaro cast a wary glance in Amber's direction before clearing his throat. "Perhaps it's best to let the men discuss business in my study."

Amber flashed Cesaro a grin. "Really, Antonio, you'd hurt my feelings if I weren't completely uninterested in the little details."

"Lara does not care for much unless it is on her computer."

Roman locked eyes with Seth from across the table and nodded at him. "Moxley, you're not really needed for this part of the conversation either."

Dean pretended to be confused and then scoffed. "What am I supposed to do then?"

"I could show you around," Amber offered casually. "You might be surprised by how much there is to do around here. Antonio enjoys keeping active."

"Pool?"

"Indoor and out."

"Gym?"

"I believe you'll find the fitness center more than acceptable."

Dean nodded. "I'll go change then. Mr. Cesaro, thank you for dinner," he said with a grin, before excusing himself from the table, Amber quickly following suit.

"An interesting man, your Moxley."

"When it comes to the details of the business, we don't like to bore Jon, but there is no one I trust with my life more than that man," Roman said with Seth nodding beside him.

"Loyalty is a very important trait," Cesaro nodded before standing up and gesturing for the other two men to follow him into his study.

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><p>When Amber emerged from her room dressed for a workout, Dean ticked his eyebrow up. "Plan on spotting me, darlin'?" he drawled.<p>

"Who knows, maybe if I find what I need fast, I can get a good sparring session in."

"I don't hit girls."

"Who said you'd get a hit in?" she teased before gesturing for her to follow him down the hallway. She led him down the steps and down a hallway he'd never been down before. "There are several rooms on the property that I've never been on. Antonio appreciates my skills on the computer, but there are certain aspects of the business he does not allow me to be a part of," she said as they walked down a corridor. She glanced around and bit her lip, reaching into her pocket and producing a few small tools. "Keep a look out for me, will you?" she asked before bending down and focusing on picking the lock on the door.

Dean kept his eyes peeled but smirked. "Do they teach lock picking at the Academy?"

"Some skills I picked up on my own over the past year."

After a moment, Dean heard footsteps approaching down the hallway. Amber seemed to hear them too, freezing immediately. Thinking quickly, Dean grabbed her by her elbow and pulled her up to her feet. She looked at him curiously as he backed her up against the door. "Sorry about this," he muttered before bending down to press capture his lips with hers.

Maybe, given the fact that she was Seth's ex, and that Roman was clearly still attracted to her, he should have been more sincere in his apology. But he wasn't really that sorry when his hands found her hips and her lips parted against his. She didn't seem to mind, wrapping her arms around his neck and groaning softly into his mouth. He wondered briefly if it was part of an act on her part when a throat cleared behind them and he forced himself to pull away, pretending to be surprised that they'd been caught.

"You're not allowed in that room," said the muscular man glowering at him.

Amber poked her head out and bit her lip. "Sorry, Langston. I was just showing Mr. Moxley to the fitness center and we got…distracted."

Langston looked at them skeptically but then shook his head, "I won't mention this to Cesaro, just get a move on," he said. As Dean and Amber started walking away, he called after them. "You know, Lara, if you ever need another 'workout buddy' I offer my services."

Dean's brow furrowed and he slung an arm over Amber's shoulder possessively and kept walking.

Cesaro's home fitness center was, in fact, incredible. Just like the rest of the estate, it was obvious he spared no expense. Dean's eyes roamed over all of the equipment before settling on Amber. Her hair was a little mussed and her face flushed and he felt a strange feeling of pride knowing it was because of him.

"That was quick thinking back there," she said softly.

Dean nodded silently, his eyes darting to her lips. "Yeah, sorry about that," he lied.

"No, it's…it's fine," she nodded. "You know, I wouldn't mind getting a workout in."

"I don't like fighting girls."

"So go easy on me," she offered. "I was okay at hand-to-hand at Quantico. But I'm always looking to improve."

She peered up at him with wide hopeful eyes and Dean found himself reluctantly agreeing to spar with her a bit. She was quick on her feet, which gave her a slight advantage but he was larger and stronger. He tried to go easy on her at first, but when she was about to pin him to the floor, instinct took over and he quickly had her on her back, kneeling over her with his hands pinning her wrists down on either side of her head.

"Show me how you did that," she demanded as she panted beneath him. So he walked her slowly through the counter, pointing out pressure points the way to roll her own body over and take him with her. By the end of it, she was straddling his thighs and pressing his shoulders down to the floor.

"Not bad," he admitted. "But you're leaving yourself exposed for me to do something like this…" As he shifted his weight to flip her again, Amber squeaked in surprise. When he pinned her again, her thighs parted and he pressed his lower body against hers. "You okay?" he asked. When she nodded up at him breathlessly he muttered a "good" before bending down to capture her lips in a bruising kiss. Her body arched against his and he let go of one wrist to slide his hand up beneath her tank top, feeling the smooth skin of her abdomen.

"This is wrong," she whispered softly even as her hips rolled against his drawing a groan from both of them.

"So fucking wrong," he agreed before dragging his lips along her neck, suckling on her pulse point. Her fingertips threaded in his hair and tugged gently, causing him to growl against her skin.

"Ahem." Dean all but leapt off of Amber and both of them scrambled apart, eyes widening as they looked at Seth, arms crossed in front of him and brows furrowed as he stared at them. "We finished our meeting with Cesaro, just coming down to check up on you two. Seems like you're doing just fine though."

Dean cleared his throat and looked away, but Amber kept her eyes focused on Seth for a moment that seemed like an eternity before turning to the man she'd just been kissing. "Could you give us a moment?"

"Yeah, I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower," Dean muttered, walking towards the door. Amber thought she heard him whisper 'a cold one' before he exited, but she went back to focusing on Seth.

"Please don't take this out on him," she said softly.

"Going to bat for another one of my friends now? Tell me was I the only one you were fucking back in New York? You know, you really had me fooled." Seth spun around and exited quickly, leaving Amber gaping after him. She quickly recovered and followed after him, knowing very well that she couldn't pick this fight with him in an open hallway, she waited until they were upstairs and he was stepping inside of his room, slipping in under his arm just as he moved to close the door.

Amber raised her hand to smack him, but this time Seth was ready and caught her wrist. "How dare you?" she gritted out as she struggled futilely to get out of his hold. "You have no idea the hell I went through…"

"Yeah, I get it. Cesaro's a rough guy to work for."

"No, I don't mean this. I mean getting over you," she snapped. "You think _I_ had _you_ fooled?" she asked incredulously. "I was the idiot that believed everything you told me then. But you made it abundantly clear we were just 'fun while it lasted,' so what do you care who I fuck now?" Seth flinched slightly when she used her own words against him. "Yeah, this past year has been hell. I've seen and done things I will never be able to undo – but that's because I had to do it. With you, it was because I was just too stupid to see what was going on. So don't you try to make me feel guilty for my actions with anyone else, when you're the one who let me know it's all I was good for."

Seth was surprised to hear her voice break slightly and he instantly felt a pang of guilt. When she struggled once again to get loose from the hold he had on her wrist he let go but immediately wrapped his arms around her. Her hands swatted at his chest a few times but he eventually pulled her close to him, burying his face in her hair and murmuring an apology over and over. Her shoulders shook slightly and he knew she was crying.

"Why you? Why, of anybody who could've shown up, did it have to be you?" she mumbled into his chest.

He sighed and stroked her hair gently before walking her over to the bed to sit down. "Amber, you've got to understand that when I said that to you then, I didn't mean it. I was going through a lot of shit and I didn't want to take you down with me when you were at the Academy." She opened her mouth to reply but he shook his head. "Randy was a dirty cop, I couldn't turn him in after all the time we worked together, but I couldn't stay there working with him knowing the truth. I was a mess after I quit, after I broke it off with you, up until Rome came home and me and the guys decided to work together."

"You could've told me," she whispered softly, remembering just how much Seth had respected his partner.

"I should've. And I'm sorry," he admitted, reaching to wipe a tear from her cheek with his thumb before cupping her face in his hands.

His lips brushed against hers and she sighed softly. "Seth," she whispered. "I'm not…I'm not the same person anymore. And I don't know if I can be."

"Shhh," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "I'm not asking you to be anything or anyone."

"I wish I could be though," she admitted.

Seth took a deep breath before silently gesturing for Amber to scoot up the bed and lay down. He curled up on his side beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist. When he pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder, she sniffled softly. "Then for tonight, we can be. Just Seth and Amber, locked away in your apartment, a good record on."

Her eyes met his and her mouth curled into a sad smile. "And it's raining, so I don't think we should leave bed at all."

"Fine by me, sweetheart."

Her fingertips laced with his and he gave her hand a squeeze. "Seth," she whispered. "Roman and Dean…"

"Are my brothers. They always will be. And you're the girl I don't think I'll ever get over. I don't think I can really fault them for finding you amazing, too." Amber looked at him skeptically, like she wanted to argue again but he shook his head. "Maybe tomorrow, when it stops raining, we can go down to the Farmer's Market you're always talking about and I'll make you dinner for a change."

"I'd like that. What record is on?"

Seth grinned and hummed a song in her ear, one that he remembered her singing in the shower. He kept humming to her until he felt her breathing even out and she curled up against him. He inhaled the familiar scent of her shampoo for a long moment before he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall asleep too.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day was a rough one for Seth to get through. Cesaro knew about Amber and Roman, so during the day she stayed close to him. The Swiss businessman's muscle knew about Amber and Dean, so occasionally they slipped in a look or two. But Tyler Black had no reason to be interested in Lara Preston, even though since waking up that morning only to find her gone, he'd wanted to do nothing more than check in on her. Instead, he was disinterested. He was all business.

It wasn't until late that night when Dean, Roman, and Seth were discussing the fact that they hadn't made any headway on breaking into the trafficking ring, that Amber burst into Seth's room. "I've got it!" she exclaimed, closing the door behind her and locking it.

She was carrying her laptop and put it down on Seth's bed. "I had a few encrypted files that weren't urgent for the Bureau, but I got one. It's a list of all of the properties Cesaro owns, including the ones he doesn't tell me about. I lifted it off of his computer three weeks ago. But I'd bet you good money that one of them is where he's keeping the Stanton girl and I even narrowed it down to four based on property type. Warehouses, open developments, big spaces where no one would really notice if you were keeping girls there against their will."

Dean nodded his head, looking at the other men. "We could always do a smash and grab."

"You just want to smash something," Roman joked, but then nodded at Amber. "This is good information, Amber."

She smiled at them but it quickly faded, so Seth moved to stand next to her. "You okay?"

"Of course," she insisted.

"Did I ever tell you I know when people are lying?" he teased.

"I just forgot for a little bit. That just because your job is going to be done soon, doesn't mean that mine is," she glanced away from all three of them and shrugged a shoulder. They fell quiet for a moment and Seth felt compelled to ask her to come with them, but he knew she wouldn't – that she wouldn't give up her work because she knew it had to be done.

"Well, we don't know that for sure. We'll have to split up these properties tomorrow and do some recon to figure out which one has Katie – if any of them do. Then we'll plan our extraction and we'll have to get in the wind before Cesaro realizes she's missing."

They all nodded, and eventually agreed that Amber would help them the next day after they left the estate by staking out one of the four properties for them on her own. But the men noticed the way Amber's shoulders hunched slightly. Frustrated that there wasn't anything he could do, Seth focused on the plans. Dean, however, put a hand on her shoulder and leaned down to whisper something in her ear before wrapping an arm around her.

Maybe the sight should have bothered Seth more than it did.

Maybe he should have made more of a fuss when Roman kissed her temple later when he showed himself out of the room and she held onto his hand a few seconds longer than she had to.

But once both of the other men had shown themselves out and she crawled onto his bed, he was quick to climb up next to her and wrap his arms around her. He kissed her softly, a slow lingering kiss that he'd been wanting to give her for quite some time.

"That felt like goodbye," she whispered sadly and suddenly he remembered the last day in her apartment in New York City.

"Nah," he whispered against her lips before shifting so that he was kneeling over her body.

"If you find her and you have to get out before I see you again…"

Seth pressed his mouth against hers to silence her, capturing her lips in a searing kiss as he undid the buttons on her blouse. When he kissed his way down her abdomen and pushed the fabric of her skirt up to her hips, he grinned at her before pressing a kiss to her inner thigh. She shivered and threaded her fingers in his hair.

"Did Rome do this to you?" he asked, a possessive growl in his voice as he dragged her panties down her legs and tossed them across the room.

"No one has but you," she whispered softly just before he touched the tip of his tongue to her clit. Moments later, when her body was still trembling she tasted herself on his tongue and dug her fingers into his bare shoulders as he slid his cock into her.

His thrusts were slow and strong and he whispered promises into her ear that they both know he'd be breaking within days, maybe even hours. When she broke apart beneath him, he muttered that he loved her into her hair. He could have sworn that she whispered it back as she was drifting off to sleep, but he wasn't completely sure it wasn't his imagination.

* * *

><p>Late the next day, all three men met back at the villa. None of them had anything to report, having investigated their assigned property and come up empty.<p>

"Maybe Amb was lucky," Dean said hopefully.

"Neither of you have heard from her?" Rome asked with concern.

Seth was already taking out his phone to call her, but then Roman's phone rang. It was his burner phone though, the number he'd given to Cesaro.

"Antonio," he answered calmly. "Good to hear from you."

A moment later, he got off the phone and looked at his partners. "He wants us to meet him in thirty minutes at the nightclub."

"It's a bit early for drinks, isn't it?" Seth asked skeptically.

"Yeah, but if it's about the deal, it could explain why Amber's been caught up," Dean suggested hopefully.

They all exchanged worried looks before silently nodding and getting ready to meet with Cesaro.

The nightclub was empty, Langston stood near the emergency exit upon their arrival.

"How good of you three to join me," Cesaro's voice echoed through the large room. "I have discussed with you how important loyalty is to me, but it is important to me that anyone I get into business with understands just how seriously I take it." He nodded to Langston who pushed open the emergency exit door before two men entered dragging in a young blonde who they immediately recognized as Katie Stanton and Amber. Seth's jaw flexed as he took in the bruises on the latter's body.

"You see, Lara here is not who she appears to be. I caught her earlier today trying to extract our young friend here from one of my properties. I do not know who she works for, FBI, DEA. It really doesn't matter. You see, I dropped these little breadcrumbs for her this entire time and she did not slip up once until now. The way I see it is, for some reason she and whomever she works for are interested in this particular girl, which makes her a liability and Lara – or whatever her name is - is a traitor. I have no time for either."

Cesaro held his hand out and Langston handed him a revolver. Roman had to forcibly try not to react when Cesaro grabbed Amber by the hair and forced her onto her knees, standing behind her and loading one single bullet into the gun and spinning the chamber. Amber's eyes met Dean's just before the trigger was squeezed, but no shot was let out. Still, it was the last straw for Seth.

"Amber!" he exclaimed, attempting to take a step forward but Dean threw an arm out to stop him.

"'Amber'? Well, well, this is certainly an unexpected turn of events," Cesaro chuckled. "If you know her, perhaps I should shoot you all first and make her watch."

However, before the sentence fully left his lips, Dean unholstered a gun and aimed it right at Cesaro. "For a businessman, you're not very good at math," he chuckled. "You see, you've got one bullet. It might not even be your next round. And I've got a full clip. Do you think you'll fire one off before I unload the entire round into your bald, shiny head?"

Roman and Seth had each pulled out their own firearm and Seth was growling for Langston and the rest of Cesaro's men to put their weapons on the floor.

Antonio Cesaro scowled at all of them and shook his head, aiming the revolver at Amber once more. The sound of a shot rang through the nightclub and before anyone really knew what was happening, Cesaro was clutching his shoulder and screaming in pain as Dean moved quickly to grab both Katie and Amber by the arm and pull them in the direction of the exit. As she was getting her footing again, Amber reached for one of the guns Langston had put down on the floor.

As they scrambled to the parking lot towards their SUV, Amber covered their six. "Take Katie and go!" she shouted as she fired off a few shots, indicating that Cesaro's men were on their tail.

"Rome!" Seth shouted as Dean ushered Katie into the back seat of the SUV and climbed in. Roman just nodded, grabbed Amber around the waist and tossed her into the vehicle as well despite her protests. Seth was already peeling out of the parking lot while Roman was closing the passenger side door.

Moments later, Amber's body was halfway out her window, unloading her clip behind them. Seth glanced into the rearview mirror warily and made a sharp turn onto the main road that sent her tumbling back inside the SUV.

"What is going on?" Katie Stanton finally demanded.

"You know how I told you I was going to get you to some people that were here to take you home? These are them."

"That was fucking stupid, Amber," Seth growled. "We were only getting intell, there was no extraction plan in place!"

"They cycle girls in and out of town regularly, there was no guarantee that they'd be there when we got back," she insisted. Roman yelled for them all to shut up while he frantically dialed his phone to arrange for a plane for them at the nearest airstrip.

Dean was examining an irate Amber's bruises, she flinched when he touched his finger to the cut on her lower lip. "I thought you didn't like guns."

"I was their security, it made sense for me to carry one for show."

"You told me you never wanted to use one."

Dean shrugged. "There are a lot of things I never wanted to do that I needed to do."

* * *

><p>As they pulled onto the airstrip, Roman was relieved to see the small private plane already waiting for them. Amber was on the phone with her handler. "Yes sir, I understand. It was out of my control…Yes. Of course."<p>

When she hung up the phone, Seth was putting the SUV in park.

"My handler is sending a car for me here. I have to go back for a debriefing, and probably to get my ass handed to me." They all climbed out of the vehicle and Roman ushered Katie towards the plane, Dean hot on his tail with their go bags from the trunk of the SUV. Seth stood in front of Amber and she looked up at him a bit sadly. "No goodbyes, right?"

"Amber, I'm sorry we blew your cover," he said gently.

"Don't be. Lara Preston was a real bitch. And Katie's safe, so it wasn't for nothing."

Seth opened his mouth to reply when the sound of screeching tires broke both of their concentrations. It was only when shots were being fired in their direction that Seth cursed loudly and Amber drew her weapon again.

When she screamed in pain and gripped her arm, Seth all but picked her up to carry her onto the plane. "GO!" he screamed at Roman and Dean as he yanked the door closed, Roman immediately scrambled to order the pilot to take off.

* * *

><p>Dean was examining her arm once the plane was in the air while Roman went to the back of the cabin to check on Katie make a few more calls.<p>

"It's just a graze," Dean and Amber said in unison.

"I need to clean it," Dean pointed out and Amber tried to protest before receiving a stern look from both him and Seth.

As if on cue, Roman returned with a few hand towels, and a few small bottles of vodka that the plane had been equipped with. Dean twisted off the cap of two bottles and handed one to Amber who quickly downed the contents.

Seth reached for one of the towels and held it out horizontally in two hands in front of Amber. "Bite on this," he urged her gently. She did and all four of them flinched when Dean used the remaining vodka to clean the wound and she let out a muffled cry through gritted teeth. Roman knelt before her and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers and whispering that she'd done so well while Seth stood to strip out of his shirt, tearing up his t-shirt easily and handing the strips of fabric to Dean to use as temporary bandages until they could get her actual medical attention.

When Amber's breathing had evened out, Roman cupped her face in his hands and kissed her on the forehead. "I called a few friends in D.C., it's been strongly recommended that you go off the grid for a couple of weeks while Cesaro's still hot for you. Your debrief can wait. General Stanton will be waiting for us when we land and a doctor will be at the loft when we get there to fix up your arm."

Amber grumbled a bit but nodded, curling up in her seat.

Seth went to go through his go back to find a new shirt, Dean and Roman following him towards the back of the cabin. The three men paused briefly and made eye contact. In the moment of wanting to help Amber, all three of them had worked seamlessly together to make sure she was okay. While it should have ruffled at least Seth's feathers, it didn't.

"She'll stay with us until it's safe to go back," Seth stated, even though all of them seemed to know that would be the case.


End file.
